CULTURE AND ROMANESQUE ART

CULTURE

• Invasions centres of culture disappear

• Monasteries: monks copied out ancient manuscripts.

• Monastic and cathedral schools: imitated the model of the Palatine Academy at Aachen.

• The first universities were founded:

o Bologna (1088) and Oxford (1096)

o Teaching in Latin

o There were no time fixed to complete studies.

ROMANESQUE

• Christian Europe

• From the end of 10th century to the beginning if the 13th century

• Main features:

o It was essentially a religious art.

o It developed primary in rural areas.

o The monastic orders and pilgrim routes helped it to spread throughout Europe.

ARCHITECTURE

• Religious buildings: churches and monasteries

• Material: stone

• Vault:

Ashlar

Barrel vault Groin vault

• Semicircular arch

• The walls were thick and reinforced on the outside with buttresses.

• There were not many doors or windows, so that the walls could support the weight of the vaults better.

• The doors and windows were semicircular with archivolts.

• The main support was the pillar.

• The columns had capitals, which were elaborated carved with foliage, mythical beast and monsters and human figures.

CAPITALS

• Plan:

o Basilica Plan

o Latin – cross plan

o Central plan (polygonal)

Other elements:

• Apses: semicircular or polygonal space covered with a vault.

• Ambulatory: circular nave situated in the chancel, around the back of the main altar.

Apses

SCULPTURE

• Frequently used on doors (archivolts and tympana) and capitals.

• “Law of the frame”: sculpture tended to be adapted to the architecture frame.

• Didactic purpose: teach the Christian beliefs to the people, who were mostly illiterate.

• The most common theme was the Pantocrator surrounded by the Evangelists.

PANTOCRATOR

Matthew / Angel

Mark / Lion

John / Eagle

Luke / Ox

Other kind of sculpture

• Free-standing sculptures (not attached to a wall)

• Main themes:

o Christ on the cross

o Virgin with the Child

• Figures were rigid, static and inexpressive.

PAINTING

• Mural painting done in fresco.

• They also illustrated manuscripts with miniatures, painted with tempera.

• The purpose was also didactic.

• They represented the same themes than sculpture.

• Colours were plain and the scenes depicted had to depth.

• The characters were in rigid poses and their faces showed no emotion.

Iglesia de San Clemente de Taüll, Lérida.

THE END

BY JOSÉ LUIS ALCAIDE

GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY TEACHER

IES PUERTA DE LA AXARQUÍA

LA CALA DEL MORAL (MÁLAGA)